6 The Homecoming Treatment

The town was currently in an uproar, Sage's parents as well as the chief and the other villagers, were in a tense meeting in the village hall when suddenly a handful of guardians poured in by the door.

"Chief we found the kid he's by the forest"

"Well? what are you waiting for? Bring him here right now"

"Uh Chief there's a problem there are several parasite butterflies clinging onto him"

"What?!"

Sage's mother quick to react.

"We don't know where he got it from he suddenly showed up covered with it we couldn't let him in the village"

"Where is my son right now show him to me"

"Calm down Sanda this is no time to let your emotions run wild, right now the village is the priority. We must stay indoors so we wouldn't have any casualties"

The chief explained the dire consequences of the situation, the chief eyes locked at Aries.

"Aries you need to call that person. we need him to help Sage quickly, we must not waste any more time"

In the outskirts of the village, Sage was sitting by the very spot he was told not to move from, resting not a care in the world, he's playing with the butterflies like a normal kid.

"How are you still alive?"

Sage jumped from his seat searching for the voice he heard.

"Who's there?"

"Oh I'm just your friendly neighborhood alchemist"

Sage then sighted a couple of vials thrown his way, the bottle broke released a gas around Sage. He instinctively covered his body from the explosion of smoke.

"Am I supposed to catch that?"

'Why does this feel familiar?'

Sage heartrate rose, his blood rushed to his head, he hadn't felt this in a long time. He got curious about the voice so he walked towards its direction, he wanted to check who was behind the tree. He came out of the smog, his body and mouth letting out clinging smoke. He went around the tree looking like a demon from hell with all the smoke still lingering around him.

"What the f-"

Sage covered in smoke tripped on a root stumbling towards the hiding girl leaving them in a rather precarious situation. Sage was on top of the girl their face unnecessarily close that they can feel each other's breath. Quickly like a victim of a horror movie the girl crawled back with her bottom flat on the ground embarrassed by the situation. Sage stood up like nothing ever happened he looked at her from the feet up. A girl that looked like It's the same age as Sage was wearing a dark brown cloak. The black haired girl had uneven bangs across his forehead but weirdly enough it suits her well with her bobbed haircut. She was scared out of his boots shouted at Sage.

"What are you doing? stop inhaling the smoke"

"I'll do what I want"

Sage proceeded to inhale some of the smoke from the area. The girl quickly took another vial and threw to the same spot.

"Stop inhaling it they're not for you"

"Why do I need to stop? Hey, give me a vial this is tobacco right?"

"Shut up dimwit the formula is for the butterflies, you're lucky you know you should've been dead a long while ago. I'm surprised you even lasted this long"

"I have a pretty sturdy body"

"It's not the body they affect It is your energy those things were named parasite butterflies for a reason. It clings to any energy containing thing, they cling until all their energy's dry leaving your body a lifeless husk. It can even take down a rook class beast hell there are even rumors that a swarm of them killed a whole town"

"Then how did I survive it? I don't exactly have a well of unlimited energy in my body, after all that fight with the beast I should be all out since my body and mind is completely exhausted"

The little girl walked into the fading smoke fanning out the fumes. There lies the butterflies still alive and moving, the butterflies were not agitated in the slightest. The girl put his palm towards the insects mumbling unusual language. Sage had no idea what the girl is doing but he never questioned her until drops of sweat is seen visible on the girls face.

"Hey, are you alright? Don't strain yourself"

"I'm alright, keep quiet"

"Well you look like you're sweating like a pig there"

"Are you saying I'm a pig?"

"No no no it's just an expression, you look pretty"

The girl went silent intently focused on the butterflies, the temperature was getting hotter by the minute. Sage followed up with a question.

"Oh by the way what's your name?"

"My names Charlotte..."

The girls face under the short hair was beet red her face covered in sweat like a fountain and her head lowering in embarrassment from Sage's compliment. She's still holding her palm up slightly shaking.

"Oooh now I know what you're doing you're burning them"

"Uh what? AHH!"

The girl was too distracted by Sage's words, she never realized she's burning the butterflies she quickly removed her cloak to put out the fire.

"No no no no this is not what I wanted to happen"

"Looks like you did a great job to me"

"I was supposed to kill it intact, not incinerate it. How am I supposed to study them now? I let a perfectly good specimen go to waste. These things were still a mystery even to the scholars no one has ever come close to studying them they all ended up dead!"

The girl took the burnt butterflies and stormed away passing the guardians that were standing on a safe distance.

"wheres mom?"

The guardians were puzzled that Sage was still alive they stare at him as they pointed at the village hall. Sage open the doors seeing the crowd of people huddled in serious discussion. Sanda noticed Sage immediately hugged him tightly. While the guardians who followed Sage behind discussed the matter of the village's safety.

"What happened to you? We were so worried when they all came back without you, your father and I searched for you at the forest at once!"

"Sanda, that's just you. Charging at the forest. In the dark. Without any shoes. Alone."

Sanda glared at Aries like a vengeful spirit. The chief approached the Son family's little reunion.

"Ehem- thank god you're alright sonny but how did you escape the pack leader?"

'Is he talking about the large dog?'

"I killed it"

"How did you do that? Those types of beasts have fur like an armor on top of a hard skin how did your attacks go through? You haven't even had your armata yet"

"I sliced its tongue off and let it bleed to death. If you don't believe in me then here is your proof"

Sage pulled up his intact fur pelt from the skinned hound earlier, the fur looks like it was skinned by an expert like it was pulled straight from the body.

"That could have been another lesser hound"

A cold and emotionless voice echoed behind them. It was Detman that just came back from the search patrol, he was listening to the conversation the whole time. Sage didn't make a peep, he thought it would be better off this way because he'll be more suspicious of his capabilities, besides Sage only skinned half of the pelt because the other half was covered in blood making it dangerous to carry. The pelt was the exact same size as the regular hounds that they encountered.

"You got long ways to go before you can fight off an adult pawn kid. Good thing you escaped, good job"

Detman then walked towards Sage's father Aries and privately discussed something. Sage saw Detman in a new light from the praise he had gotten he was not half bad of a human being. The pale man and his father finished their secretive meeting and proceeded to the doors outside, but just before he opened the doors outside he looked at Sage.

"Hey, kid!"

Sage gazed upon the slim man as he put his slender thumb at his neck and drawing across his throat issuing a threat to a little kid then proceeded to exit outside of the village hall. Sage was dumbfounded as to what the Detman was referring to and quickly looked at his father in a questioning look. His father quickly averted his eyes and just casually whistles as if there is nothing. Sanda then dragged Sage home, ripping him of all of his clothing Sage embarrassingly covered his privates checking for bruises.

"Oh seriously I've already seen everything"

"I'm a man I shouldn't be treated like this"

Sages face were bright red he never expected to be treated like this, Sanda took a bucket of water and placed it beside Sage. She then took one of the jeweled bracelets from the shelf and wore it around her wrist, the bracelet shined a cyan hue. Sanda held up her hand the water from the bucket floated in the air without ease like how water floats in space covering Sage's body cleaning off the little gunk and mud that was left from his earlier bath in the spring of water.

"You sure are clean for staying outside for a whole night."

Sanda dumped the dirty water outside while Sage wore his signature buttoned wool shirt. Sanda then came inside his room and handed Sage a bottle.

"Drink this potion I got it from our local alchemist. It'll heal you right up"

"Oh, It's from the little girl?"

"Girl? There's no girl, the alchemists were a man and his apprentice a little boy"

Sage showed a doubtful look he could have sworn he's a girl, Sage brushed the whole thing aside and checked his tattered clothe's pockets. Good thing he recovered four black fangs and the mysterious rock. The rock's glow had disappeared the orange glow never lighted up. There's nothing special about the rock nor the fangs it looks like they were just a trophy for yesterdays adventure, so he placed the fangs and the rock on the shelf in his room. His body melted on the bed after he lay down he felt profound exhaustion from what happened yesterday.

He had to rest for at least a week for his injuries can fully heal. Sage never knew potions actually existed all he knew about potions were from video games. He never knew how effective it was, his injury was supposed to recover for at least a couple of months but with the potions, it turned into just a couple of days. If potions were a thing in the mundane world he would have become unparalleled at his line of work. Sage decided to drop by the alchemist's house hoping to learn more from them before going back to his daily routine. Halfway through the village, he got called by Warder the muscular incarnation of a berserker.

"Hey runt follow me, your father wants to talk to you about something"

"What does my father want from me?"

"Just keep your smart mouth shut and follow me. The guardian's quarters is around here"

Sage felt something was not right about this, Warder has been sketchy the whole walk, but regardless Sage was still following him to the destination. They arrived at an open area beside a considerably large establishment, there are people practicing their swords in the area. There were familiar faces on a nearby bench, a hand full of guardians were there including Sage's father, Armin, and David they all have a serious look on their faces as they look at the both of us. Detman was missing maybe he was on the round of patrolling the outskirts of the village. Warder suddenly stops in the middle of the area, the people who were practicing stopped what they're doing. Warder pulled out his heavy sword and turned to face Sage. Warder's face turned dangerous his body emitted a killing intent that Sage knew very well, without rhyme or reason Warder suddenly charged at Sage with his sword without hesitation ready to hack his body.

"This is the end of the line for you kid, Unfortunately, this is where you die!"

Sage drew his knife like a gunslinger blocking the sword oppressive power. Warder was like a mountain, towering over Sage the endless drizzling weather felt like drops of dread crawling on his skin. Sage's eyes passed warder looking at his father like a pitiful puppy. Just when Sage finally accepted a warm loving family he yet again felt betrayed.

"Dad please stop him he's going to kill me"

His dad stared at him without batting an eye not showing any indication of giving any help.